Tailwind Nutrition Backstory

Jeff and Jenny Vierling decided to develop Tailwind Nutrition after years of struggling on race day with gut bombs and the tedious task of keeping track of gels, electrolyte pills and food. With humble beginnings in their kitchen in Durango, Colorado using an inherited KitchenAid from Jenny’s grandmother, they developed an endurance drink mix that can be used as a sole fuel source during exercise supplying energy, electrolytes, and hydration in a simple form that is easy to digest and has little to no taste. Since those early days, Tailwind Nutrition has kept their family business environment and have grown to over 400 stores and is sold in seven countries.

“Tailwind grew from my own personal experiences as an endurance athlete,” reminisces founder Jeff Vierling. “I learned the hard way how important nutrition is to performing your best and enjoying the effort. I tried virtually every product on the market, but couldn't find a solution that was easy to use and solved the nutrition problems common to endurance athletes. That's what drove me to develop Tailwind.”

After years of experimentation, Jeff found a solution and began using Tailwind as his sole fuel for training and racing. With the KitchenAid in their kitchen working overtime, Jeff and Jenny introduced Tailwind at the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Durango, CO. After that, the success stories of fellow marathoners, triathletes, cyclists and athletes came pouring in. With requests for more Tailwind piling up and the Kitchen Aid wearing out, the Vierlings decided it was time to officially launch Tailwind Nutrition.

“Our customers come first in everything that we do,” says Jenny Vierling. “They are the reason we have grown to the size that we are today and we do everything we can to let them know how special they are to us.” Both Jeff and Jenny are still involved in day-to-day operations and their team shares the same dedication to personal customer service. Tailwind encourages their employees to connect with their customers by writing their names on the bags and sending them personalised notes of encouragement on their bags of Tailwind or on the outside of their shipping boxes. It’s become so popular that many customers actually special request a message or picture be drawn on their box. Even as the company grows, they continue to maintain their exceptional business practices and relationships with their avid consumer base.

With a very vocal fan base, Tailwind’s customers have been the driving force in their growth. Jenny and Jeff recognise this dedication from their fans, and to support them, they commit to supporting over 100 races per year by donating over 25,000 gallons of drink mix to those races whose RD’s are avid users and supporters of Tailwind.

The key benefits of Tailwind include:• Easy on your stomach: no gut bombs• Simple and complete: ditch the gels, chews, and pills• Tasty all day: clean, light flavor tastes better the longer you go• Dissolves completely: no artificial colours and rinses easily out of bottles and hydration packs• All natural ingredients: Non-GMO, vegan, free of gluten, soy and dairy